KEPSA, led by the Chair of Environment, Water and Natural Resources Sector Board Ms Emily Waita and the Chair of KEPSA Trade and Industry Sector Board Ms Susan Maingi took part in the Third Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on Global Plastics Treaty which kicked off on 13^th November 2023 at United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Headquarters in Nairobi.  

The Third INC was officially opened by the President of the Republic of Kenya H.E Dr.  William Ruto. In his remarks, the President affirmed Kenya’s commitment to ending plastic pollution. “We demonstrated this commitment with the ban on the manufacture and use of polythene bags in 2017, followed closely in 2020 with a ban on single-use plastics in protected areas such as national parks, forests and beaches. Further in July 2022, Kenya enacted the Sustainable Waste Management Act which made our country the first in the world to subject all products, including plastics, to Extended Producer Responsibility,” said President Ruto.

The President further reiterated that “Dealing with plastics pollution is central to making progress on climate change. Plastics could account for up to 19 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions allowed under 1.5°C by 2040. It is now time for investors, multinational corporations and technology companies to shift strategic investments to reduce their plastics waste footprint.”

In addition, he reiterated that “the zero draft serves as a rallying call for Global collective action for our planet through various interventions such as the reduction of plastics produced, elimination of problematic and short-lived plastics, investment in solid waste management policies and a Just Transition by integrating workers, especially in the informal settings, to ensure that no one is left behind in the shift from a linear to a circular model of plastic life cycle management.”

Ms Inger Andersen, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme gave a strong rallying call for the global treaty. She noted that “the agreement must be strong and comprehensive in addressing the full lifecycle of plastics- from polymer to production- from production to product, from product to sustainable consumption patterns with integrated sustainable plastic waste management. The instrument should include the reduction of microplastics, and harmful plastics; provide for the protection of human life, and the environment, slow climate change, eliminate single-use plastics, and increase recycling. Other elements to be considered include just transition, legacy plastics, promoting enabling policy, strategies and regulations that enable change and promote private sector investments including extended producer responsibility.”

In the opening remarks’ The Chair of the INC, H.E. Mr. Gustavo Adolfo Meza-Cuadra highlighted that, “the global treaty is an opportunity to address the global plastics challenge collectively to make the difference at the speed and scale required. The Nairobi Spirit of consensus, cooperation and ambition, should guide the third INC session.”  

Ms Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, Executive Secretary of the INC, indicated that the 3^rd session of the INC is the midpoint of the process and urged all member states to work collectively while ensuring all views are heard towards reaching a global consensus and agreement for a legally binding global instrument.

Present at the meeting were technical staff to support the contact group sessions including Ms Faith Ngige – KEPSA, Producer Responsibility Organizations’ Representatives, Civil Society, and Waste Management Service Providers including collectors and recyclers.